JoyRider Beginners+ Bike Ride: Ealing to Acton and Chiswick

JoyRiders Britain empower women through introducing them to the joy, freedom and sheer utility (#fastercheaperhealthier) of cycling.

JoyRiders are not a cycling club – and they are not seeking to provide rides for women who already ride a bike.

Instead, JoyRiders provide a ‘Rite of Passage’ for the 30% of women who – although they do not currently ride a bike regularly, if at all – say they would like to. Many perceived barriers have prevented these – literally millions – of women from getting on a bike:

• 50% think the roads are too dangerous, or they lack the confidence;
• 30% do not own a bike;
• At least one in ten are worried they will be laughed at – for being the ‘wrong’ shape, wearing the ‘wrong’ things…
• A third don’t know anyone to ride with, or don’t know how to find routes.

JoyRiders reach out into community, faith, women’s, parents, school and employer groups and organisations – finding and speaking to these women. We want to let them know - JoyRiders don’t cycle, we ride! Many of our participants and ride leaders were (and are) just like them.

Our rides start at true Beginner level – short, social, stop/start slow rides to a spot for coffee and cake, then back again…covering 5 miles over 2 hours if we’re lucky.

We step up the distance – and (marginally) the speed – on Beginner+, and Intermediate rides, then – when and if our participants want to – onto Commuter and more Advanced rides.

Our aim is for participants to ride independently. So far JoyRiders have helped 1000s of women to do this and we want to help at least tens of 1000s more.